Headache during menstruation

During menstruation, women’s bodies will become weaker, their immunity will decrease, and many uncomfortable symptoms will appear. Dysmenorrhea is a situation that most women will face during menstruation. Some people will experience stomach pain or diarrhea during menstruation. Menstrual headaches are also a manifestation of decreased immunity. Some people have headaches due to deficiency of qi and blood caused by excessive blood loss. So why do people have headaches during menstruation?

1. Qi and blood deficiency type. Symptoms include headaches during menstruation or when the menstruation is about to end, accompanied by dizziness, pale complexion, fatigue, shortness of breath, laziness to speak, spontaneous sweating and insomnia, as well as scanty, light-colored and thin menstruation, pale tongue with white coating, and a weak and thready pulse.

2. Liver and kidney yin deficiency type. Symptoms include headache during menstruation or after menstruation, accompanied by dizziness, soreness of waist and knees, fever in the five parts of the body, insomnia, night sweats, bitter taste in the mouth and dry throat, scanty and bright red menstrual flow, distension and pain in the chest and flanks, red tongue with thin yellow coating, and thin and rapid pulse. Treatment should be to nourish the liver and kidneys, extinguish wind and relieve pain.

3. Blood stasis and collateral obstruction type. Symptoms include severe headaches before and during menstruation, pain like being stabbed by needles or a knife, fixed pain, dark purple menstrual blood with clots, accompanied by lower abdominal pain that is resistant to pressure, ecchymosis on the tip or sides of the tongue, and a thin and wiry pulse. The treatment should be to regulate Qi and activate blood circulation, unblock meridians and relieve pain. The prescription should be Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction with modifications.

4. Liver fire disturbance type. The symptoms include headache during menstruation, mainly swelling and pain in the temples on both sides, or even pain in the top of the head and neck, accompanied by depression, dizziness, irritability, fullness and pain in the chest and flanks, bitter mouth and dry throat, red tongue, thin yellow tongue coating, and rapid and stringy pulse.

Causes

Before and after menstruation, the estradiol concentration in the serum decreases, causing the intracranial and extracranial blood vessels and uterine blood vessels to be more sensitive to certain factors such as serotonin and other substances, thereby causing changes in vascular tension and causing headaches in some patients who are sensitive to this. After menstruation, the estradiol concentration in the serum returns to normal and the patient's headaches are relieved.

There is another possibility that estrogen (including estradiol) can stimulate the secretion of prolactin, thereby directly or indirectly stimulating the secretion of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins act on blood vessels, causing vascular contraction and dilation. This change also shows cyclical changes due to the influence of estrogen, thereby triggering headache attacks.